Darko Milicic gives thanks to Timberwolves for sticking with him

Clipper forward Blake Griffin shoots over Wolves center Darko Milicic in the first half, as the Minnesota Timberwolves played the L.A. Clippers at Target Center in Minneapolis on November 17 , 2010. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi )

The Thanksgiving spirit was still flowing with Timberwolves center Darko Milicic after Friday's practice at Target Center.

Milicic took a moment to express his appreciation to the Wolves' coaching staff and team president of basketball operations David Kahn for not giving up on him when, in Milicic's words, he "couldn't throw the ball into the (bleeping) ocean."

When Milicic was shooting an embarrassing 14 percent during the first two weeks of the regular season, Kahn could have been forgiven for scouring some of the fine print in the center's four-year, $20 million contract to see if there was a way to terminate the deal. Instead, Kahn opted to have a private chat with the 7-foot Serbian to let him know the Wolves would not be the latest NBA team to kick him to the curb.

"I told Darko, 'I believe in you,' " Kahn said.

Three weeks later, Milicic enters tonight's game against Golden State at Target Center leading the NBA in blocked shots at 2.94 per game (47 total). He's also enjoying the best stretch in his tattered seven-year career. Not only has Milicic become one of the league's top defensive centers, he's in the midst of a transformation with his overall game.

In the Wolves' past three games, the 25-year-old is averaging 22.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.6 blocks and 3.6 assists in 36.2 minutes, while shooting 59.1 percent (29 of 49) from the floor.

"I'm just thankful to the coaches and David Kahn for staying with me," Milicic said. "I was really struggling with my shooting. They let me play.

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I needed somebody to give me a chance. This is the first time in my career that I'm playing this many minutes and playing well. It feels good."

Milicic has elevated his play so much that San Antonio was forced to throw double-teams at him Wednesday night in the fourth quarter of the Wolves' overtime loss. It was a crowning moment for Milicic, who could barely remember getting that kind of attention from opposing NBA teams.

"I like double-teams," he said. "I know I can't finish every play. If I see double-teams coming at me, I know one of my teammates will be open and I can get the ball to them."

The diligent work Milicic put in with Wolves coach Kurt Rambis and his staff has sparked a turnaround, particularly with his footwork and conditioning. Now the Wolves are including Milicic in late-game possessions, often making him the first scoring option. He also is giving the Wolves the interior defensive presence the team was missing last season.

Milicic's new influence is refreshing for Kahn, who was criticized early in the season for signing him in free agency. Milicic's slow start raised the volume on the criticism.

"I didn't take much offense to it because most of the comments were not based on fact," Kahn said of Milicic's deal. "I don't feel Darko's contract was that far out of line at all. People are looking backward instead of forward — in terms of how we envision his role with us. You have to be resolute when you make decisions, and I've felt very strongly about this decision as with others we've made.

"Darko is playing better than we anticipated, considering he hasn't played much in the past two years. I'm very happy for him."

Rambis meets with Beasley: Rambis said he met with forward Michael Beasley before Friday's practice to address the meltdown Beasley experienced in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to San Antonio.

Beasley committed two of his four turnovers in that period and misfired badly on his only two shot attempts. He did not play in the final five minutes of regulation.

"He has a better understanding," Rambis said of Beasley. "Does that mean everything is resolved? No. We're trying to get all of our players to handle late-game situations better. In tight-game scenarios, you have to be able to make passes, make plays and make accurate decisions. As a team, we're still not comfortable in that environment."

Beasley, the Wolves' leading scorer (21.1 points per game), had the team's only basket in the overtime. He finished with 11 points, his fewest since an 11-point effort at Miami on Nov. 2.